The Relationship between Fecal Myeloperoxidase Concentration and Growth Velocity in 2-5 Year-Old Children in Rural Areas of Zanjan, Iran

Background and Objective: Growth is an important marker of child health. It has been shown recently that a chronic inflammatory condition, known as Environmental Enteric Dysfunction might play a more significant role on growth velocity than clinical infections. The present study aims to investigate the fecal myeloperoxidase concentration (a marker of gut inflammation) and its relationship with growth velocity. Materials and Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 74 children from rural population of Iran (2 to 5 years of age) were randomly included. The heights and weights of the children were measured at a quarterly interval. The stool samples were obtained from all children in order to measure myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration. The growth velocity was assessed on the basis of height for age Z-score and weight for age Z-score changes. A questionnaire on socioeconomic status was also completed by children’s parents. Results: 82 children aged 2 to 5 years (37 females and 45 males) with mean age of 40.63 ± 12.7 months participated in this study. The mean fecal MPO level was 71.26 ng/ml (Min – Max: 2 – 232.33 ng/ml). There was no significant relationship between fecal myeloperoxidase level and changes in height and weight Z scores. Moreover, there was no significant relationship between socioeconomic status of households and fecal myeloperoxidase level. Conclusion: The mean level of fecal MPO in the present study was lower than similar studies. This significant difference might be mainly due to the better social status of families and environmental conditions of villages in our study.